What should you do about spammy backlinks?
Establish first whether they were bought or arrived unsolicited, because the response differs entirely. Unsolicited spam is extremely common, largely ignored by search engines, and usually needs no action. Disavow only when there is a manual action, when links were actually purchased, or when the pattern is clearly deliberate.
Get the actual data
Pull your backlink profile from Search Console — it is free and it is the source that matters — and from a third-party tool if you have one, since each finds links the other misses.
Export the full list of linking domains, not individual links. Domains are the unit of analysis; a site with 4,000 links from one domain is one decision, not four thousand.
Tell bought links from unsolicited spam
Bought links look deliberate:
- A cluster appearing within a short window
- Consistent anchor text using your service and location terms
- Guest posts on low-quality sites in unrelated niches
- Bulk directory listings on sites with no real audience
- Paid-for "editorial" placements
If someone was paid for link building, this is what you will find.
Unsolicited spam looks automated:
- Scraper sites republishing your content with links intact
- Forum and comment spam from bots
- Adult, gambling or pharmaceutical sites in other languages
- Sites nobody would ever visit
The important difference: unsolicited spam is extremely common, largely ignored, and usually requires no action at all.
Do not disavow reflexively
Disavowing is often unnecessary and can be harmful. Search engines are good at ignoring obvious spam, and a business disavowing broadly can remove links that were actually helping.
Disavow when:
- There is a manual action for unnatural links
- You or a previous agency actually bought links
- The pattern is clearly deliberate manipulation
Do not disavow because a tool assigned some links a low score. Those scores are estimates from a third party, not judgements from a search engine.
If you did buy links
Work through it properly, because the effort is itself part of the recovery if a manual action is involved:
- List every domain you believe was paid for
- Contact each and request removal, keeping records of every attempt
- Cancel any ongoing service
- Disavow at domain level what you could not get removed
- Keep the evidence of removal attempts
Records matter. If a reconsideration request follows, demonstrated effort is part of what is assessed.
Then build the profile you should have had
For a League City business, links that are both legitimate and achievable:
- Chamber of commerce and local business associations
- Trade and licensing bodies
- Suppliers and manufacturers you work with
- Local sponsorships — a team, an event, a school programme
- Local news coverage of something genuinely newsworthy
- Complementary businesses you refer work to and from
These are slow, small in number, and worth more than any package. They are also nearly impossible for a competitor to replicate cheaply.
Set expectations honestly
If links were bought and a manual action followed, recovery is a defined process with a real chance of success. If the damage was algorithmic, recovery is slower and less certain, and it depends more on the quality of the site than on the disavow file.
Either way, treat any future offer of guaranteed links or guaranteed rankings as the warning sign it is.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell bought links from spam?
Bought links look deliberate — a cluster in a short window, consistent anchor text, guest posts in unrelated niches, bulk directories. Unsolicited spam looks automated — scrapers, comment bots, unrelated foreign-language sites.
Should I disavow spammy links?
Usually not. Search engines are good at ignoring obvious spam, and broad disavowing can remove links that were helping. Disavow when there is a manual action, when links were actually bought, or when manipulation is clearly deliberate.
What about low scores from an SEO tool?
Those are estimates from a third party, not judgements from a search engine. They are not a reason to disavow on their own.
What if a previous agency bought links?
List the domains, request removal from each and keep records of every attempt, cancel the service, and disavow at domain level what you cannot remove. The documented effort matters if a reconsideration request follows.
What links should I build instead?
Chamber and trade body memberships, suppliers and manufacturers, local sponsorships, genuine local news coverage, and complementary businesses you exchange referrals with. Slow, few, and hard for competitors to copy.